Massachusetts housing sales reach 8-year high

In this Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013, file photo, a "For Sale" sign hangs in front of a house in Walpole, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)AP

BOSTON (AP) — September was the best month for sales of single-family homes in Massachusetts in eight years.

Two groups that track the market reported Tuesday that sales of single-family homes jumped by more than 16 percent over the previous September to the highest level since September 2005.

The Boston-based Warren Group, a publisher of real estate data, reported that median prices also rose sharply, up 16 percent since September 2012, to nearly $324,000.

The Waltham-based Massachusetts Association of Realtors reported that in addition to a more than 17 percent jump in sales, there was a nearly 12 percent jump in median prices year-over-year, to $325,000.

The groups make their calculations slightly differently.

Condominium sales and median prices also rose.

The Realtors' president says the numbers were driven by demand outpacing supply.